Fire of Unknown Origin
by Spiritus Erroneus
Summary: For years after the war, the Avatar and his friends tended to the business of restoring balance to the scarred world. But now a new threat's rising in the Fire Nation, and suddenly life looks a lot less certain. Canon pairings only.
1. The Tea Shop

Hello, everyone, and welcome to the fic! This is my first Avatar fanfic, and I'm pretty proud of it. I desperately hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Disclaimer: I don't, and will never, own these characters or really anything recognizable in this fic. They're just so good that I can't resist playing with them a little.

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_**Team Avatar -**_

_**Meet at the tea shop the night of the new moon. Come in the back door.**_

_**- Zuko**_

"I'm telling you, Suki, this doesn't feel right," Sokka said, following her cautiously through the streets of Ba Sing Se. "Something's up. Look at the note. Since when does Zuko call us Team Avatar?"

"You're being paranoid, Sokka," she sighed. "Look, it's Zuko's handwriting. The tails of the letters always go up like that."

"It's his, all right, but it's sloppy. I mean, for him. And meeting at night on a new moon? Something's definitely up."

"Okay, we'll play it safe. We'll go back to the embassy and get Boomerang…"

"I've got Boomerang. And my space sword." He raised his eyebrows at her rolled eyes. "What? I don't like being unprepared."

"The nations are at peace, Sokka. People aren't trying to kill you anymore. Relax."

"I'll be the one laughing when we're attacked."

She walked on, not dignifying his suspicions with a response. "The sun won't set for another hour," she said. "What should we do until then?"

"We could visit Toph," he suggested.

"Toph's on that training expedition with her students," Suki reminded him. "We don't know if she's back yet."

"She'll be back for the tea shop meeting. Tea shop meetings are sacred."

"He didn't give us a whole lot of warning," she pointed out. "We're lucky we were on Kyoshi when we got the message. We barely had time to find someone to look after the kids. I wonder if Aang and Katara will even make it."

"He's the Avatar, and they've got a flying bison. It shouldn't be a problem," Sokka shrugged.

"We don't know where they were. And Katara's getting on. She might not be able to travel."

"Zuko's obviously in trouble," Sokka said positively. "They'll be there."

"It's only obvious to paranoids like you, Sokka!"

"Hello? Katara's my sister. She's easily my equal on the paranoia scale."

* * *

Katara read over the note for the tenth time. "Aang, something's not right," she said.

He looked back at her, something like panic in his wise eyes. "Do we need to stop? I think there's an island a few miles back-"

"No, I'm fine, Aang. We're both fine. I'm talking about Zuko's note. Something's wrong."

The Avatar relaxed visibly. "What makes you say that?" he asked.

"When have we ever met at night? On a new moon? And why would we need to come in the back door?" she pondered. "And look at the handwriting. He looks like he wrote it in a hurry."

He frowned, thinking. "I think you might be right. The timing's wrong. It's usually a few months between meetings, but it's only been a few weeks since the last one." He reached for the reins. "Appa, yip yip," he said, spurring the beast on. Appa groaned in reply.

"How far away are we?" Katara asked, resting a hand on her belly as the baby kicked.

"A little more than an hour," Aang replied, speaking from long experience. "You're sure that you're okay?"

"Yes, Aang. Plus, if anything happens, I can take care of myself." she touched the flask of healing water on her left hip, and the emergency fighting water on her right. "I just hope Zuko's okay."

"Me too."

* * *

Toph felt the earth cooling beneath her feet. It was getting close to sunset. She needed to hurry if she was going to make the tea shop on time. She knew she should have wrapped up the trip earlier, but some of her students were making such excellent progress that she couldn't tear herself away. At eighteen, she was already the most sought-after earth bending master in the world. A surprising amount of earth benders wanted to learn how to bend metal, but very few of them had the power to do so. She hand-picked the best of the best in the Earth Kingdom to train with her, and so far, they'd impressed her with their abilities. Thus far, four of her students had been able to bend metal. For the others, it was only a matter of time. She allowed herself a smug smile as she thought of how her parents would react to her fleet of metal-bending prodigies.

The street told her she was getting close to the shop. She went there almost every day to spend time with Iroh, the other Ba Sing Se-based veteran of the avatar's war. She liked being there much more than being in the Bei Fong family's opulent vacation house, where her parents spent every spare moment arranging meetings with brave suitors. It had reached the point where they would only come on a bet. That was more than fine with her; everyone else had settled down, but she still liked her freedom.

The shop was less than a block away. It was closed, of course, with only two people in the back room. Iroh and Zuko, she was fairly certain. But as she got closer, she noticed that their hearts were beating too fast in their chests, especially Zuko's. His breathing was off, too. He was injured. Her footsteps sped up until she was almost running to the door. Freezing abruptly, she checked to see if anyone was following her. Then she balled up a fist and hammered on the door.

She felt Iroh approach the door, then heard the sound of the hatch sliding back. "Toph," he greeted in a whisper, opening the door.

"Iroh. Something's wrong," she stated, striding over to where Zuko sat. "Zuko, what happened?"

"Not now. We'll wait until everyone gets here before we talk about anything."


	2. Sozin's Soldiers

Hi again! The next few chapters are coming up in rapid succession, seeing as I have them written already. Those of you who read chapter 1 and liked it enough to keep reading, thank you! If you review, you make my day. Remember that when you see that little button at the end.

Disclaimer: so I've already told you I don't own them. Do I need to tell you again?

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"I owe you the biggest 'I told you so' ever," Sokka complained, nursing a cut on his arm.

"Shut up and help me tie them up," Suki replied, stooping over their attackers.

He went to join her, grumbling all the way. "Sokka's being paranoid, who would possibly want to attack us, the nations are at peace… Tell that to my arm…"

She punched him in the uninjured arm and looked up. "It's getting dark," she pointed out. "We're going to be late."

"We need to make sure we're not being followed or watched," Sokka replied. "Whoever these guys are, I think they're after Zuko. They were following us, probably hoping we'd lead them to him. This is bad news."

"You think?" Suki snorted.

"And, I was right."

"Sokka, I love you, but if you don't shut up, I will have to kill you."

"Just sayin'. Paranoid: 2, Suki: 0."

"Let's just go. We'll split up, check the rooftops and alleys around the tea shop, and then meet at the back door. Understood?"

"Yes, Ma'am. I'll take the front. Here," he said, holding out his weapon, "take the space sword. Boomerang and I can handle it."

"Thanks but no thanks," she smirked, pulling two fans out of her sleeves. "I've got it covered."

"You're telling me you let me take on the two creepy creepers on my own when you were armed the whole time?"

"You had it under control. I didn't want to ruin your moment."

"Oh, I'm so grateful. Next time, don't hesitate to jump in."

She smiled. "See you at the tea shop."

"Oh, sure."

* * *

They landed Appa in the Earth King's stables, where they had built a special stall for him, and made sure that he had food and water. It was already dark. "We need to hurry," Aang said.

"We know something's not right," Katara pointed out. "We need to be careful."

"Okay, we'll be sneaky, but let's be sneaky fast," he urged as they walked out into the balmy Ba Sing Se air. They snuck a little way before Aang stopped, bursting into laughter.

"What?" Katara snapped.

"It's really funny to watch a pregnant lady sneak," he informed her. "It kind of ruins the whole effect."

She gave him a look. "Okay, maybe we should just try to act casual."

"Way ahead of you," he said, pulling his shirt up to cover his head.

"And _I _ruin the effect? We need to get you some more inconspicuous clothes."

"How about we just be on our guard?" he suggested.

"Sounds doable. Let's go."

Aang draped his arm over her shoulders, falling into his usual husband-taking-care-of-pregnant-wife position as they hurried through the streets. They took a wrong turn in the darkness, delaying them slightly, but they finally made it to the tea shop. Aang knocked softly.

The hatch slid back, revealing Iroh's eyes. "Aang, Katara," he greeted softly. "It is good to see you both."

"Thanks, Iroh. Is Zuko okay?" Katara asked.

The old man hesitated. "You'd better come see for yourselves." He led them in.

At the far end of the room, they could see the silhouettes of Zuko and Toph outlined by the large fireplace. Zuko's long hair, usually sleek and pinned with his crown, lay in disheveled tangles on his shoulders. His Fire Lord robes were torn and filthy. There were drops of blood on the stone floor around the bench where he sat. "Zuko!" Katara exclaimed, running awkwardly across the room, her hand pulling a stream of healing water from her flask. "What happened?"

"Not yet," Zuko said, gratefully pointing out the worst of his wounds. "I'll tell you everything once Sokka and Suki arrive. I'm glad you're here, he said, his golden eyes meeting Aang's. "Where were you when you got the note?"

"At the North Pole," Aang answered, sitting next to Toph on the bench next to him. "We were going to stay here until the baby was born. The best midwives in the world live there."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to change your plans," he apologized, wincing as Katara prodded a nasty wound on his thigh.

"Don't be," Katara said. "I was getting sick of it anyway. If I'm going to be giving birth to an air nomad, why stay in one place?"

"How do you know it's not a water bender?" Toph asked curiously.

"All the children of an air bender inherit air bending," Aang explained. "It's different from the other benders."

"But this is the Avatar's kid, and its mom's a water bender," she pointed out. "What if the baby can do both?"

"Then we're in trouble," Katara said, turning to smile at her husband before returning to Zuko's wounds. "But the Avatar's children don't inherit the ability to bend more than one element."

"But they do almost always end up as benders," Aang added. "So we're pretty sure the baby's going to be an air bender."

Another soft knock at the door brought everyone to attention. Iroh warily opened the hatch. "Sokka, Suki," he said, opening the door. "How are you?"

"Pretty good, considering we just took out two creepers and three spies around the tea shop," Sokka said, striding into the room. "Zuko, what's going on? Are you all right?"

"Sit down," Zuko invited them. "Uncle, I think we should have some tea. Jasmine would be perfect."

Iroh nodded, pouring seven cups of tea and heating them with his fire bending. It was a trick that patrons of the shop paid extra to see. He put them on a stone table, which Toph moved to the fireside.

"Great," Sokka said, taking his steaming cup from the table. "Now will you tell us what's going on?" He took a gulp of tea and yelped. "It's hot," he announced.

Everyone looked at Sokka for a moment before turning back to Zuko. He took a steadying breath before he began his story. "Look, you know that the Fire Nation's been in a state of civil war between my father's supporters and my own for nearly five years," he started weakly. "That's why I've had to maintain a military. It hasn't been that much of a problem before, just the rare uprising that burned myself out. But there's a new group, and they're organized. They call themselves Sozin's Soldiers. You ran into a few of them outside, Sokka. They were mainly subversive until a few weeks ago, when they attached the palace and threatened my life. Then a week later Mai and I attended the theater, and they surrounded us. They took Mai hostage. That's when I wrote to you. I was going to leave while they thought I was at the palace and immediately get in touch with our allies. But I couldn't leave without making sure Mai was alright. I broke into their hideout. They caught me and did this to me, then threw me out of my own kingdom. They have taken the capitol. I had to steal one of my own war balloons to get here. Their plan is to free my sister and place her on the throne."

Sokka's hand rested on the sheath of his sword. "They picked the wrong Fire Lord to mess with," he said confidently. "Did they completely forget that you have the rest of the world is on your side? Not to mention the Avatar? Come on!"

"They don't care," Zuko replied. "These aren't rational people, Sokka. They want my _sister_ in power."

"Don't worry, Zuko. We'll stop them. Sokka's right, messing with you was a mistake." Aang shifted from one bench to the other, resting a hand on Sokka's shoulder.

"Year, what are friends with armies for?" Toph chimed in sardonically.

"That's not the worst part," Zuko said, rubbing his eyes. "I wanted to tell you this under better circumstances, but… Mai is pregnant. They threatened to kill her if I came back to the fire nation ever again."

The room fell silent. They had certainly not been expecting such a complicated situation. As usual, it was Sokka who broke the silence. "She'll be fine," he said confidently. "We'll get her back safely. And once this is over, you're going to be a great dad, Zuko. You'll love it," he told him with the knowing smile of a fellow father. "Tui, Hakoda, and Kuruk will love having a Fire Nation playmate."

"I can help her like Suki helped me through the hard parts," Katara nodded. "Zuko, no one's going to hurt Mai."

"Thank you," he said softly. He met his uncle's shocked gaze. "If it's a boy, we're naming him Lu Ten."

Iroh nodded, his eyes welling with tears. "And if it's a girl?"

"Ursa."

After a moment of silence, Sokka spoke. "We need a plan. It would take my soldiers almost a month to get to the fire nation, but Suki can rally the Kyoshi warriors in a couple of days. Toph, would your students be willing to help?"

"Are you kidding? They need some battle experience," she said enthusiastically. "Though I cannot be held responsible if they hurt themselves or their allies."

"We need all the help we can get," Aang said. "We need to find out how many are in Ba Sing Se before we do anything else."

"That shouldn't be too hard," Toph said. "Firebenders have naturally higher body temperatures than other people do. My students should be able to tell which ones they are from the heat of the ground under their feet."

"The ones we fought weren't fire benders," Suki remembered. "Or if they were, they didn't use their bending."

"Many of them aren't," Zuko said. "Most of them are the sons or daughters of my father's generals and lieutenants, or soldiers who were very loyal to him. People who hate me."

"We need to play this smart. The first priority is to free Mai," Sokka planned. "She's the biggest card they've got to play against us. We need to infiltrate their ranks. This will be less risky for me and Suki than it would be for Aang or Zuko or Toph, because we don't have any recognizable markings and we aren't well known in the country."

"I don't have any marks," Toph pointed out.

"A blind girl walking barefoot. No, that's not recognizable at all," Sokka said sarcastically.

"Oh. Good point."

"You think? Katara, you might have to be our cheering section for this one."

"Understandable."

"We can get into Sozin's Soldiers and into a position to free Mai, but we'd need backup, and a fail-safe getaway plan. Aang, you and Appa will have to airlift us out of there. Once we've got Mai somewhere safe, Toph's metal bending students will get back to the palace. We should place guards on the Boiling Rock and Azula's safe house as soon as possible. Aang, do you think you can talk Bumi into lending us a couple of soldiers?"

"Definitely," Aang nodded. "Zuko and I will go to Omashu and ask him."

"I don't know, Aang. Zuko, you're hurt badly. I'll need more time to heal you before you're ready to go anywhere. I'm surprised you even got this far with these wounds." She pulled his shirt back, revealing a hastily patched gash, too long and too deep, among the livid purple bruises that covered most of his body. "Zuko, did you cauterize this yourself?"

"It wouldn't stop bleeding," he answered. "I had no choice."

"This was meant to be a killing blow," Suki gasped.

"Not exactly. I think they wanted me to bleed. They wanted me weak. They succeeded, didn't they?" he said bitterly. "I can't fight in this battle. If they're smart, they're already telling the people how they defeated and humiliated me. They'll say that I'm weak, that I don't deserve the throne. I… it's been difficult for my nation to accept me after the war. It might be easier for them to respond to a more militant leader."

"So what you're saying is that they're trying to get your people to turn on you," Sokka summarized. "And you think it's going to work."

"I don't exactly have the reputation for brutality my father had," he reminded them. "My only redeeming quality to many of them is my record as a warrior. If they ruin my name, make me look weak, they'll be able to take my country out from under me."

"Well, that makes it a lot more complicated," Toph huffed. "So you can't fight. But if you don't fight, the fire nation will turn on you?" She kicked at the ground. "I hope you've got a plan for this one, Sokka."

"Okay… All we need is for you to appear in vital moments during the battle, right? The rest is just word-of-mouth. We spread a story on the ground about you in the fights. You don't even actually have to be there, just someone dressed in your official stuff, right?"

"Okay, yeah," Suki nodded. "I don't think it will be too much of a stretch for them to believe. Zuko did get hit with Azula's lightning and lived to tell the tale."

"And, like a moron, he stuck a piece of hot metal in a gash a quarter-inch deep," Katara snapped. "You made this a lot harder to heal, Zuko."

"Would you prefer me bleeding to death?" Zuko shot back. He winced as Katara examined the cut. "I'll be fine. I have to be in this fight. It's my home. My country. And it's my family at risk. I'm not going to sit this out."

"Zuko," Iroh said calmly, "I know how you feel. But you are the only one who can lead the fire nation. You must think of the future of your people."

"So I'm just supposed to hide behind the Earth King's walls while I let the Avatar fight my battles for me? How am I going to earn the trust of my people when all they see is a Fire Lord who can't even defend his own family?" he spat bitterly, his fist clenched tightly on the ripped hem of his shirt.

"You're the one who asked us to come, Hothead," Toph barked. "If you didn't want Aang's help, why'd you even call us here?"

Zuko slammed his fist down on the tea table, knocking over his own cup. "Because I can't, okay?" he snapped, grabbing his head with both hands. "I can't protect them. I can't even protect myself. They're right. I'm weak."

"Zuko, you know that is not true," Iroh said almost sternly. "You are the greatest leader the fire nation has had in generations. You took a hated nation and turned it into a peaceful ally to the world."

Aang rested a hand on his volatile friend's shoulder. "He's right, Zuko. I didn't do that, you did. If you need proof, then look at this uprising. They aren't my enemies, they're yours."

Zuko have this a moment's thought. "That's not the issue," he dismissed, though he seemed somewhat bolstered. "I have to be in this battle."

"This isn't going to be over tomorrow," Katara reminded him. "Or even a week from now. You might have time to recover yet."

"Listen, we're all tired. Zuko's hurt. We aren't going to organize a war in a night," Suki pointed out.

"Another war. Seems like the last one barely ended, doesn't it?" Aang asked dismally. "Why can't the world stay balanced?"

Silence fell over them for a moment. "Iroh," Toph said finally, "do you have anything stronger?"


	3. Bad Blood

Wow, chapter 3! I feel accomplished. This is the first story with more than two chapters that I've actually posted. I hope you enjoy this one.

Disclaimer: ...don't own, blah, blah...

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They all left at different times, sneaking through side alleys and over roofs, even underground. Zuko stayed in the cellar of the tea shop, with instructions to stay in his bed until Katara arrived in disguise the next morning. Privately, she doubted that he could get up if he tried. She'd watched his condition deteriorate even in the few hours that they were there. He was a strong man, but he had taken a beating he wasn't meant to survive. She and Aang returned to their room at the palace through the clouds, while Suki and Sokka made their way back to the Water Tribe embassy on foot. Toph tunneled back to her own rooms in the Bei Fong household. They had arranged to meet again early the next day, before the four able-bodied friends, each with two of Toph's students in tow, went out on the hunt for fire nation spies.

Katara walked into the tea shop, feeling decidedly foolish. The elaborate disguise that Aang had put together at the palace consisted of an overlarge floral dress padded with pillows and a wig made of Appa's fur, and it was ridiculous. At least no one would recognize the Avatar's wife in such an absurd costume. She avoided the stares of the patrons and waddled over to Iroh. "Are you Iroh?" she asked in a high-pitched voice.

"Ah, hello," Iroh said theatrically, his eyes twinkling. "I am. You must be Mrs. Po."

"Yes," she said. "You needed help with cleaning around the shop?"

"Indeed. Please, come in the back." He led her beyond the curtain. "That's a good look for you," he chuckled.

She pulled the costume off, ignoring the barb. "How is the patient?"

"He's awake and, well, impatient," Iroh said. "What did you expect?"

"This is going to be a long day," She sighed, heading down the stairs. "Knowing him, he'll be up in a few hours, whether I want him to be or not."

When she came down, Zuko pushed himself up on his elbows. "About time you got here," he said. He was snowy white, and sweat beaded on his brow.

"You know, Zuko, that's exactly the way you should greet a cranky pregnant lady who has control over your health." Katara raised an eyebrow, pushing him down. "Watch the tone, Fire Lord." She pulled a ribbon of healing water from her flask, coating her hand. "Let's see that cut."

He pushed the blanket aside, revealing the wound. "How long before you can heal it?"

"It depends on how far this infection has spread," she said, examining the inflamed skin around it. It was much worse than it had been the night before, and the skin gave off heat that had nothing to do with fire bending. The edges of the wound were tinged a sickly purple-black. "Oh, no."

He forced himself back up. "What's wrong?" he demanded.

"Zuko, what sort of weapon gave you this wound?"

"A knife, I think. Or some short ceremonial sword. Why?"

She pressed a palm lightly to the tender flesh, her hand glowing. "I don't think this is an infection," she said. "The blade must have been poisoned. That's why you're getting worse so quickly."

"You can cure me, though. You healed me after Azula's lightning strike. Katara." His fevered eyes met hers, and she could see his fear. That made her feel even worse about what she had to say next.

"I've never healed anything like this before. I'm not sure I can. Cuts and burns are one thing, but poison spreads through your whole body. I don't know, Zuko. I'm sorry."

He clutched at the fabric of her sleeves, his knuckles whitening. "You don't understand. I can't die. Not now." He glanced at her growing belly. "It's not just me anymore. I've got a family. I can't die without knowing my child."

Katara looked down, putting a hand on her stomach. She recognized that desperate need, that intense love. She felt it every time the baby stirred inside her. "There is something I could try," she said softly. "I would have to bend your blood and separate the bad from the good. It would be long and dangerous, and more painful than anything that poison could do to you."

"Blood bending. Like you did to the Capitan of the Southern Raiders. How does it work?"

"I bend the water in a person's blood. I can control their motions. I've never tried it any other way, though, and I don't know how I'll tell what's good and what's bad."

"But if you don't try, I'll die," he asked.

"Yes." Of that she had no doubt.

"Then this is my only choice."

She thought for a moment, recalling the last time she tried bending blood. The idea of using it on her friend appalled her. "No. This can't be the only way. We could take you up to the North Pole. Maybe one of the healers there can save you."

"I wouldn't make it to the North Pole. Even I can see that."

He was right. Katara sighed. "We need to do it soon, and we need help. I'll send Iroh down while I get the others." Making sure he was as comfortable as possible under the circumstances, she walked up the narrow staircase into the back of the tea shop.

The old general was humming as he poured tea for guests, but he looked up when she entered. "Katara," he said, his brow knitting in concern. "Is there something wrong?"

She didn't want to hurt the gentle old man, but time was of the essence. She had to be frank with him. "Iroh, Zuko's been poisoned, and he hasn't got much time. I might be able to save him if I act quickly, but I need to go get help. Would you sit with him until I get back?"

Iroh didn't need telling twice. He dashed through the curtain. "The shop is closed," he announced to the crowded front room. "There's been a tea emergency. Anyone who comes back later will get free tea." He ushered them out the door, cups still in hand. He turned to Katara, watching him in awe, and ordered, "Go. I will take care of my nephew."

Katara nodded, wide-eyed. "I'll be back before long." She turned to leave.

Iroh grabbed her by the arm. "Do anything you have to. Anything that will help him."

She left, but not before noticing how quickly the man ran down the stairs to be at the side of the boy he had practically raised.

* * *

Iroh knelt next to Zuko's pallet, his eyes fixed on his pale face. It was a scene out of his worst nightmares - watching helplessly as another of his dearest loved ones left him forever. Just like Lu Ten, and his beautiful mother before him. Zuko's eyes were closed, his face pale, his body motionless; to Iroh's eyes, which had witnessed the deaths of many men, his nephew looked no different from a corpse. An involuntary sob shook his shoulders.

Zuko stirred, his eyelids slowly parting to reveal those rare, striking golden eyes, brighter than his sister's, gentler than his father's. "Uncle," he murmured. "You're crying."

"Even the mightiest of dragons will shed tears for his family, Prince Zuko." His voice wavered on the last few words.

"No one's called me that in a long time," Zuko noted.

"Old habits are not easily broken."

"I don't mind." He paused. His eyes were hazy with fever. "I wish you had become Fire Lord instead of my father. This never would have happened with you in charge."

"It wasn't my destiny," he said simply. "It was yours, and Aang's. I could not have done what you have. I was foolish, and still believed in my Grandfather's war. The Fire Nation needed you to save our people from the stupidity of dead men. You brought them peace for the first time in one hundred years."

"And look what they do with it! They fight like leopard-wolves. They hurt my family and try to restore war and hate."

"These are uneasy times."

"No time in my life has been easy. I thought when I accepted my destiny I'd finally have some peace. And now my wife and child are being held hostage by maniacs who poisoned me. What's wrong with me, Uncle? Why is it that whenever I'm happy, something happens to ruin everything?"

"You have had a difficult life, Zuko. The path you have chosen has led to some bad situations for you. But the things you have done have been good, and right."

"I know! So why am I dying?" Iroh could tell that he was becoming delirious. "This started when Azula was born, you know. She's Agni's curse."

"Yes," he said comfortingly. "But she's on Ember Island, under guard."

"She's behind this, Uncle. I know it. She's behind everything. She hates it when I'm happy."

"Won't she be surprised when you survive, then," Iroh soothed. "Katara should be back soon."


	4. Blood Benders

So this is kind of a short chapter... It was extremely intense to write, so I figured it should stand alone. I hope you like it - any medical or bending inaccuracies aren't my fault, kay?

Disclaimer: Yeah. You know.

* * *

"This is kinda like the old days," Sokka observed as they walked through the streets. They had already apprehended six of the rebel spies, and one had broken and told them where to find the rest. "Zuko's banished, world's all out of whack, and only we can stop it. This should be easy. We've got plenty of practice."

Aang looked skeptical. "At least it hasn't been going on for a hundred years," he conceded. "It's not as big this time."

"But it's more personal. Poor Zuko," Suki sighed. "I can't imagine."

A sudden wind came from above them, as well as an animal groan. Appa descended on them, and Katara slid down. "I've been looking for you everywhere!" she snapped. "We need to go back to the tea shop, now. Zuko's dying."

"What?" Aang said, scared. "What happened? What went wrong?"

"They poisoned the blade. He's getting worse. But I think I know of a way we could save him."

Aang floated up to Appa's reins. "Tell us on the way."

The others clambered onto the flying bison, and they took off. "Katara, what do we have to do?" Suki asked.

"We need to separate the poison from his blood," Katara said. "I… I'm not sure how yet. But I'll need help."

"Whatever we can do," Toph said. Sokka nodded, pale. "Can't Appa go any faster?"

They reached the tea shop moments later, sliding off of Appa before all his feet were touching the ground. "Stay here," Aang ordered. They barged into the tea shop, stampeding down the stairs to where Iroh watched over Zuko.

"How is he?" Katara asked, kneeling at his side.

"He is getting worse," Iroh sighed. "He is awake, but not lucid."

"Katara," Toph said softly. "I think-"

"Later, Toph," she interrupted. "His fever has risen. He's burning up."

"Katara! Would you listen to me? I know how to save him!" Everyone looked at her. "There's metal in his blood. The poison is metal. If you can bend the blood out of his body, I can take out the poison and you can put back the clean stuff."

Katara stared at her, stunned. "It could work," she said. "It might actually work! Iroh, we need a bowl. Sokka, we'll need you to cut Zuko's wrists, both of them, when we start. He'll bleed into the bowl, Toph will separate the metal, and I'll bend the blood back in through the other wrist. Aang, you need to keep Zuko cool. The fever is the most dangerous thing now."

"Cause the blood thing's gonna be a cake walk," Toph quipped.

"What do we do?" Suki asked as Iroh returned with the bowl.

"You two need to hold his arms down. I'm sure this is going to hurt."

"But are you sure it's going to work?" Sokka asked. "If not, we could be killing him."

"He'll die without this. It might be risky, but we can't afford to wait."

Sokka nodded, propping Zuko's arm above the bowl with a pillow without so much as a sarcastic crack. "Tell me when," he said, positioning his knife over his wrist.

Katara and Toph moved into bending stances. "Ready?" Katara asked.

"As I'll ever be. Go, Sokka."

Sokka dug the tip of the knife into Zuko's right wrist, cutting deep, but not long. The semi-conscious Fire Lord gasped in pain as his blood ran into the bowl. "Other side, Sokka, quick," Katara ordered. "Aang, cool him down."

While Sokka replicated the cut on the other wrist, Aang bended a ball of cool air around Zuko's head, taking some water from the jug and letting it drip slowly on his lips. Toph pulled the poison out of the blood, nodding to Katara once she had a clean batch. She bent the blood in an arcing ribbon over Zuko's chest, tapering it to the size of a needle and forcing it back into the wound. Zuko groaned, his back arching, trying to escape the pain; Suki and Iroh put their weight on him, keeping him down.

Beads of sweat began to form on the bender's foreheads. Despite both their expertise and the small scale of the task, the complexity of the bending was taking its toll. A tiny ball of gray metal spun in Toph's palm as she pulled the minute amounts from the blood. The scarlet arch wavered, but Katara kept it stable, taking a stronger stance and pushing the blood harder. Zuko's agonized yells echoed around the cellar. "How is he doing?" she panted.

"He's in a lot of pain," Aang reported. "His heartbeat's pretty slow. I think we need to hurry, guys."

"How much blood does this guy have?" Toph asked impatiently.

"We must be getting close," Katara said. "We've got to be. Hold on, Zuko."

The room lapsed into silence again, the only sound being Zuko's groans. "It's clean," Toph said finally. "The blood's clean." she sat heavily on the ground. "It's about time."

Katara drained the bowl, forcing the last of the blood back into her friend. Pulling a stream of healing water from her flask, she coated both hands, grabbing Zuko by the wrists. A blue glow lit the room, and the cuts sealed. "He should be asleep for a while," she said. "He's been through a lot."

"So have you," Iroh pointed out. "Go get rest. Relax. I will stay here with my nephew. "


	5. Sleeping Viper

Hey, look, chapter 5! I hope you all enjoyed my attempt at writing bending in the last chapter. We're getting to the meat of the story, I swear. Enjoy the exposition!

A/N: Yes, Agni is the god of fire in Hindu mythology. I iz borrowing him because I'm not original enough to come up with my own.

* * *

Zuko groaned. His veins ached. It was a weird sensation. The last time he'd felt this sick, his body and mind had been at war with themselves, and it felt much the same this time. Maybe it was the circumstances - the tea shop, Uncle at his side. The conflict he felt. He tried to sit up, but his arms were reluctant to follow orders.

"Zuko, you are awake!" Iroh said. "How do you feel?"

"Sore. What happened? All I remember is that everyone was around me and whatever was happening hurt. Bad." He touched his bandaged wrists and chest curiously.

Iroh recounted the stunning feat, not skimping on the details: How deep Sokka's knife dug, how the bowl of blood shined in the light, the way that Katara arched the blood over his body. "And Toph left you a souvenir," he said, pulling an odd stone on a cord from his pocket. "The gray in the center is the poison she pulled from your blood. She encased it in crystal so it is no longer dangerous. She thought you might want the head of the dragon."

"_That_ was killing me?" Zuko asked, fascinated. "That was in my blood?"

"It is a slow poison, purified from a coarse metal found in volcanic ore," Iroh explained. "Our name for it is the Sleeping Viper. Its affects are slow at first, then sudden. It was a very popular form of assassination in your grandfather's rule, but preparing the poison is difficult and dangerous. It is usually used as a powder in food or drinks - the victim will live for a whole day with no effects, then descend very suddenly into illness. The less common way is forging the metal into a weapon. Your attackers made a knife out of it - when forged, it is sharp, but brittle. Pieces broke off when they cut, and the shards disintegrated as the wounds healed. In the history of the poison, you are the first survivor."

He tied the cord around his neck. "Yeah. No one else had the best earth bender and water bender in the world fighting their battles for them."

"Zuko, there is no shame in receiving help," Iroh reminded him. "Especially when you are in trouble."

"I know that," Zuko said reluctantly.

"Then why are you resisting the help of your friends?"

He gritted his teeth, his fists clutching the blanket. "I walked into a trap. They ambushed me. I tried, but I couldn't fight them off. They pinned me down and beat me unconscious, and when I came to they were slicing into me with that Sleeping Viper knife. They tied me up and dragged me behind an ostrich horse then dumped me in the water. Me! I'm the Fire Lord, I'm supposed to be strong, and they overwhelmed me like I was some weak peasant! And I couldn't stop them."

"Zuko." He sighed. The younger man knew that sigh; he was about to treat his nephew to a lecture. "Sometimes things happen that you cannot control. Even the most powerful bender and courageous leader can be taken by surprise. It was not your abilities or your bravery that they took advantage of, it was your love. That is not weakness, it is strength. You almost died for your family, but for the love of them, you survived. That is your triumph."

"It's not enough." Zuko said. "I have to make them pay. I will make them regret what they did to my family and my nation." He tried to stand, but didn't make it to his knees before he fell back.

"Zuko, I am under orders to make sure you relax," Iroh said, helping him sit. "Just because you are no longer dying does not mean that you are healed. Do not push yourself."

"I have to. If I don't, I won't regain strength fast enough to be in this fight." He paused. "But I'd settle for going upstairs for something to eat."

Iroh smiled. "That is a good idea," he said, helping him stand. "What do you want to eat? Anything you want. My treat."

He thought for a moment. "Do you have any jook? And that Ya Min tea?"

His uncle laughed. "Of course."

* * *

When Toph arrived at the tea shop that afternoon, she found Zuko wolfing down his second heaping bowl of jook at the kitchen table. "Feeling better, Hothead?" she asked, smirking.

"Not really," he said around a mouthful of jook. "Just hungry. At least I'm not dying anymore. Thanks for that."

"No problem." She ladled herself a bowl of the sticky porridge. "Where's Iroh?"

"He's out shopping for spices to make fire flakes."

"Why?"

"I was craving them."

"That's crazy!" she exclaimed. "Why would you do that?"

"I didn't make him, he volunteered. He knows they were my favorite when I was a kid."

"I'm not talking about Iroh making them, I'm talking about you actually wanting them. I've _had_ fire flakes. I swear my mouth was actually burning. Only masochists would want to put themselves through that."

"Just because you're used to the bland slop they call food here doesn't mean that the rest of us have such weak taste buds," he shot back.

"Well, that didn't take long," she smirked. "I see the poison had no impact on your ability to insult people."

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." The corners of his mouth curled upward slightly.

"Though apparently it gave you a sense of humor. It wasn't very good, but if you squint really hard, that was loosely recognizable as funny," she said snidely.

"No, it was clever. I'm not surprised you can't tell the difference."

Toph grinned. "I like you better after you've almost died. You're more fun."

"Maybe you just appreciate me more," he suggested, smirking.

"Yeah, that's likely," she scoffed. "More like you appreciate me."

"I do."

She did a double take. "What did you just say?"

"I said I do appreciate you. You saved my life."

"I think that may be the first nice thing you've said to me _ever_." She prodded at him. "The poison affected your brain, didn't it?"

"Look, this isn't easy for me, and you're not making it easier," he snapped.

"Why would I want it to be easy? The great and mighty Fire Lord Zuko just said he appreciates me! I'm going to lord this over you forever, you know that, right?"

He shrugged. "I can always say it was a moment of weakness. I was on my deathbed, after all."

"Yeah, right."

"Then I'll deny it."

"Deny what?" Iroh asked, striding in with his arms full of groceries.

"Iroh, Zuko just said he appreciates me! It's unheard of!"

He gave his nephew a look. "Good for him," he said.

"She can't prove anything," Zuko glared.

"Zuko, Toph is your friend." He smiled slyly. "I am certain she would never betray your confidence."

Toph frowned. "Way to make me feel bad," she pouted. "I was looking forward to spreading the news around."

"I am sure Zuko will give you an official commendation when he is returned to power." Iroh fished a pan out of a cupboard, filling it with oil. He heated the oil to boiling in just a few seconds, then dropped in handfuls of rice. "But until then, you can have all the fire flakes you want."

She made a gagging noise. "I'll pass."

The bell on the front door chimed, and Suki and Sokka walked in, looking pale and tired. "Good morning," Iroh greeted.

"Is it?" Sokka asked, yawning. "The sun's up, so it must be morning, but I wouldn't go so far as to call it good."

"Jeez, Mr. Negativity," Toph grinned. "I'm assuming you two had a great night's sleep."

"We didn't even have a night's sleep. We were up all night interrogating the spies we caught yesterday. We are now experts on Sozin's Soldiers," Suki said, sinking into a chair. "It's unbelievable."

"What?" Zuko asked, jook forgotten. "What did you learn?"

"Well, it's basically a cult," Sokka explained. "The leaders, the ones running the organization, worship Fire Lord Sozin as a god. They believe that he's the incarnation of some Fire spirit, and his war was holy. Really, it explains everything."

"What do you mean, it explains everything? It's crazier than Azula!" Toph insisted.

"Exactly! She's living proof that crazy gets things done. None of the other rebellions got very far because they weren't convinced that Zuko and Aang are evil incarnate trying to snuff the fire nation out. These guys are just nuts enough to really, really hate you," he told Zuko. "The poisoning was a ritual. Vengeance, they called it. I don't know what that means. It's probably just some insane symbolic fanatical thing," he dismissed. Not one of them noticed the shadow that fell over Iroh's face at the mention of the poison.

The shadow passed quickly, and he returned to the pan. "It is ironic that they should choose to worship Sozin," Iroh said. "He clearly forbade the worship of any god or spirit just after he started the war. He said the only thing people should care about is the power of the Fire Nation. People have forgotten the old ways, the old spirits. There is a saying among the elders of the Fire Nation: Agni died with the dragons."

"Who is Agni?" Toph asked curiously.

"The Great Fire Spirit. To claim that Sozin is the reincarnation of Agni is like saying that Ozai was the true Avatar."

"Like I said," Sokka smirked, making the international gesture for crazy.

Zuko gave him an intense look. "So they're insane. We get it. What are their plans?"

"Their leader calls herself the High Priestess Ona," Suki explained. "She claims that she's Sozin's prophet. She's the one that cut you. She really hates your mother's side of the family, the side that's descendant from Roku. She wants to kill you, end your bloodline, and put Azula on the throne. She's leading an invasion of Ember Island to free her."

"Azula's just as much related to Roku as I am," he pointed out.

"I don't think that's what matters to her, honestly. Azula has the same sort of qualities as the fire lord she worships - ruthlessness, thirst for power…"

"Craziness?" Toph suggested.

"Almost definitely," Sokka nodded.

"Wait a minute. She wants to end my bloodline? That means she'll kill Mai!" Zuko said, standing in panic. He swayed, clutching his side. "We've got to stop her."

"From what they said, I don't think that's part of her plan," Sokka calmed him, pulling his arm over his shoulders to keep him upright. "They didn't know much, but they did say that she wanted Mai and the kid alive."

"But she thinks I'm dead. Why would she keep them if not for blackmail?"

"Zuko. We've been over this. Several times. Crazy, remember?" Sokka lowered him back into his chair. "Now let's sit down and figure it out. Suki and I know how to get in."

"How?"

"It's actually ridiculously easy," Suki said. "They go around recruiting people. The goons we caught joined up a week ago. And guard duty is one of the lowest level responsibilities. Honestly, Zuko, this should be simple."

"I've got it all worked out," Sokka explained. "Once we've got access to Mai, we'll light off a signal flare marking our location. Aang will come give us an airlift out while the Kyoshi Warriors and a few of the Earth King's forces create a distraction. Once we've got Mai safely out, we bring her back here and retreat to the shores. Then we attack and retake the palace city."

"With whose forces?" Zuko asked skeptically.

"Everyone's! I sent a messenger hawk to my dad, the Earth King and Bumi have both agreed to lend us forces, Ty Lee's already gone to Ember Island with a few Kyoshi girls, and basically everyone we know from all of our adventures have said they'll help. Jeong Jeong and Piandao are spreading the word to your military outposts on the outer islands to prepare for war."

"Good. Because I'm going to be leading them."

"Zuko, I know you want to be in this fight, but you've got to let yourself heal first," Suki reprimanded.

"I know. What do you think I'm doing now?"

"Eating your way through half a pot of jook?" Sokka suggested.

Suddenly, the tea shop's doors blew inwards, followed by Aang. "Guys! Something's wrong with Katara!"


	6. Ember Island

Hey, everyone! I hope you're enjoying what you read. If you've gotten this far, that probably means you don't hate it, so go me! A little change of pace here, and an OC (I'm not usually into OCs, but she's necessary). Sorry if it seems like the story's going a little slow - I promise I'm working up to something good.

Disclaimer: I don't own much, but I do own Ona and her peeps.

* * *

Ona stood at the prow of the royal ship, watching Ember Island's beaches get closer and closer. She tried to project an image of patience and strength, but the two days confined on the ship, doing nothing, had worn on her. The crew, mostly comprised of captives, gave her a wide berth; they'd seen her wrath, and wanted nothing to do with it. She liked their reaction. She deserved their fear.

"How soon?" she demanded at a crewman close by.

His hands slipped on the rope he was handling. "Almost there. We just need to dock, and that'll take a few more minutes. Uh, Priestess. Ma'am."

"We do not need to dock. Pull up on the beach."

"Yes, your… your holiness," he agreed.

She smiled slightly. When she was a child, no one had ever treated her with respect. Now she had it. "Sozin's fire spare you," she blessed. Then she walked, slowly, across the deck to where her soldiers stood at attention. "The Imposter is dead. It is our sacred duty to retrieve Firelord Azula and restore her to the throne."

They cheered. Preaching, she had discovered, was quite like snake charming - all she had to do was repeat the same phrases over and over and she could lead them wherever she wanted. "We can let nothing stand in our way!" She brought her fist down on her palm for emphasis. "Sozin's spirit will survive only if we act to preserve it. We are halfway there - we must return the Fire Nation to glory!" They were eating out of her palm. Now, for the fun part. "The Royal Family's beach house is atop that ridge. There Azula is kept under guard. We will - we must - destroy them! No mercy for infidels!" The boat bumped against the dock, and she stepped over the edge, dropping gracefully onto the sand. "Bring me the Fire Lord!"

Her soldiers - most of them just foolish brats who felt entitled to the wealth and power their families had enjoyed during the war - charged up the hill like komodo rhinos. She heard shouts from within as a fight broke out. Satisfied, she walked slowly from the beach to the house, waiting outside for her men to report. One she recognized as eighteen-year-old Yaoni ran out to her, bowing deeply. "We have secured the guards, but there's a problem," he explained. "Fire Lord Azula doesn't want to leave."

"What?" she demanded.

"That's what she said. She said she's not leaving."

"Take me to her."

The former Princess lounged on a couch in the large house, looking at her soldiers in disdain. Her hair hung lank on her shoulders, and her eyes looked sunken. "Ona. When I heard the proclamation about poor Zuko, I thought you might have been responsible. The poison was a little heavy-handed, don't you think?" Her gaze rested upon Ona. "So you're my great-grandfather's prophet now, eh? Who gave you that authority?"

"My authority comes from the spirit world."

"If I believed that, I'd be a fool. Just like all of your toy soldiers here," Azula smirked. "Why are you here?"

"I am here to restore you to the throne."

"Hmm. I don't think so."

Ona took a deep breath to calm herself. "Do you not want to be Fire Lord?"

"I don't want to be a puppet." She stretched. "You want me to go with you and rule the fire nation with you, my heroic rescuer, at my right hand. You want to manipulate me and make me do your bidding. Please. You act as if I've got no experience in politics."

Ona's anger was boiling over. "You owe me!" she snapped. "I have cleared the way for you to become the most important Fire Lord in history!"

"I owe you? You killed my brother!"

"You've tried the same dozens of times!"

"Things between Zuzu and I were… complicated. He visited me here, you know. Once every other month. He hardly said anything and he left in a hurry, but…" Azula made a sweeping gesture with her arms, indicating her luxurious surroundings. "He's the reason I'm here and not rotting in the catacombs beneath the city. Sure, it's mind-numbingly boring, but it beats a dungeon. I have anything I want, as long as it doesn't allow me to leave the island. I admit, if I'd been in Zuko's position, I wouldn't have done the same thing."

"This is a prison! I am offering you freedom!"

"No, thanks. Now leave. My mother and I have a lot of catching up to do."

"Your mother is dead!" Ona screamed.

"If you say so," she shrugged. "After all, I am insane. Ty Lee, make sure this nuisance boards her ship in a timely manner."

A beautiful young woman cartwheeled out of the shadows. "Hi," she said cheerfully. "I'll escort you down to your ship. Some of my friends are already helping your guards back down." She nodded to the window, past which several girls in full Kyoshi war paint were dragging incapacitated soldiers.

Ona stood, open-mouthed, shocked at the sight of her trained killers being dragged away like so much garbage. "How…"

"You have no idea who you're dealing with, do you?" Azula asked, amused. "Zuko may be dead, but his friends aren't. You can talk a good game, I'll give you that, but I don't think talk's going to help once you've got the Avatar on your trail. And he's not the only one. His friends control armies, Ona, armies much bigger than your own. They're smarter than you and stronger than you. And believe me, you're going to have a hard time making friends of your own after what you did. You're in over your head, Priestess."

"You should be on my side! You are the true fire lord, why are you siding with traitors and fools?"

She sighed. "Mai was my friend. Even after she betrayed me, I still care for her. And you ruined her life. I think it's only fair to warn you that nothing will stop Zuko's allies from ruining yours."

"I really do have to ask you to leave," Ty Lee said apologetically, dashing forward and hitting a series of pressure points. The self-proclaimed prophet fell to the ground.

"I thought you were Sozin's heir," Ona screamed as she was dragged away. "I was wrong! You're a traitor, just like your filthy murderess mother! You and all your kind will burn in Sozin's Fire!"

"Sozin's dead," Azula remarked. "And were he alive, he would have locked you away with the priests of Agni for preaching lies." She laughed softly. "And they think I'm crazy."


End file.
